The disclosure relates generally to the field of construction materials. It is a new product called palm tile that can be used to construct roofs or to cover huts or “palapas”. This is a new procedure to manufacture palm tiles.
In several places and communities in the world, natural leaves, stems, branches, grass or hay are still being used for constructing traditional roofs of houses or shelters. In Mexico and other countries, stretched or pressed leaves from palm trees are tied up or fastened onto wooden or other material structures to construct roofs or covers for huts or “palapas”.
In the traditional system to construct rustic roofs, the framework is assembled first; stretched or pressed palm leaves are then fastened or affixed thereto. However, fastening or fixing these leaves to the structure is a hardworking and slow job, which is both expensive and inconvenient because it takes a lot of time for workers to do it.
To construct roofs of huts and “palapas” using natural leaves and branches among other materials, various types of frameworks are used, whether conic or sloping (e.g., single pitch or double pitch roof) or eccentric. In all cases, material is laid and tied to use in overlaid portions, overlapping its position depending on the vegetal material used, with the previously mentioned inconveniences.
Patent literature disclosing frameworks and wall materials, such as U.S. Pat. No. 6,324,791, GB 335,189, DE 120,033, U.S. Pat. No. 4,947,611, JP 6,285,819, and FR 2,612,445, appear to have no close relation to the palm tiles as disclosed herein.
Provided herein is information for the construction of palm tiles or thatched roofs, rustic roofs for huts or “palapas”, which surpasses the inconveniences of the traditional technique. Collocation time is also reduced with highly satisfactory results. Also disclosed are methods to manufacture palm tiles, some accessories to fix them, and the manner to fix it onto a framework.